Lunch
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| This article is part of the Meals series |
| Common meals... |
| Elevenses |
| Brunch |
| Lunch |
| Tea |
| Dinner |
| Supper |
| Dessert |
| See also... |
Lunch is a meal that is taken at noon or in the early afternoon. The term is short for "luncheon" (see below). Lunch is sometimes called "dinner" in the British Isles, and in parts of the United States, Canada and Australia.
Lunch food varies. In some places, one eats similar things both at lunch and at supper - a hot meal, sometimes with more than one course. In other places, lunch is the main meal of the day, supper being a smaller cold meal.
Many people eat lunch while at work or school. Employers and schools usually provide a lunch break in the middle of the day, lasting as much as an hour. Some workplaces and schools provide cafeterias where one can get a hot meal. In some work locations one can easily go out to eat at a nearby restaurant. Where these conveniences are not available it may be impractical to make lunch the main meal of the day. In these cases relatively simple foods might be packed in a container, such as a bag or a lunchbox, and taken to work or school. The quintessential bag lunch in North America consists of a sandwich and often a whole fruit and either cookies or a candy bar.
In addition to its primary purpose, lunch can function as a form of entertainment, especially on weekends; a particularly fancy or formal lunch can be called a luncheon. Such lunches can be served at a restaurant, as a buffet or potluck, or as a sit-down feast. These events are very similar to festive suppers.
Lunch, both simple and fancy, often includes dessert.
Many nutritionists suggest that it is more appropriate to eat a large meal at lunch than it is to do so at supper, just prior to going to sleep, when the energy from the meal will not be properly used.
In a cricket match that lasts a full day or longer, there is a luncheon interval in each day's play, usually taken between 12:30pm and 1:30pm.
Continental French for "lunch" is déjeuner, Quebecois French is dîner; in Spanish it is almuerzo (or comida, which also means "food"), in Italian it is pranzo, in German it is Mittagessen, in Danish it is frokost, in Esperanto it is tagmanĝo (or lunĉo) and in Greek it is γεύμα (pronounced yemva).
Lunchables, products of Oscar Mayer, are packaged lunches aimed at kids.
